


The Entries

by OddlyKia



Category: Marble Hornets
Genre: F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2015-01-08
Packaged: 2018-02-18 01:06:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2329649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OddlyKia/pseuds/OddlyKia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of stories that revolve around you and the boys from Marble Hornets.</p><p>[Various x Reader]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Away for so long [Jay]

You cast a quick glance down at your phone to check your GPS, making sure that you are about to take the correct exit. You’ve already checked it several other times, but after driving for so long, everything beings to look the same. But, once your sure, you place your phone down onto the empty passenger seat and focus solely on the road ahead of you. The long, boring, never ending highway does, however, give you more than plenty of time to think.

And so, your thoughts run astray and focus on Jay Merrick. 

That bastard you once dared to call a friend keeps disappearing and reappearing. And he’s been doing this for about, what, seven or more months now. You use to receive a notice from him every now and then, a very short text here, a minute long call there, just to let you know that he wasn’t dead in some ditch. But that stopped about a month ago, and you’ve been on the search for him ever since. 

It took quite a bit of doing, but you finally managed to track him. 

And as you get closer and closer to your final destination, you start to think about what you’re going to say to him. You’re angry with him for sure, so maybe you’ll punch him right when he opens the door. Or maybe you’ll scream and yell at him. 

“God dammit, Jay,” you mutter under your breath. “Making me drive all the way out here to find you. I can’t wait to punch you in the face.”

You finally reach your exit number and follow the instructions on your phone to the hotel he is currently staying at. It’s not anything lavish or extravagant, just a hotel you would stay at for maybe a night or two before continuing on with your trip. 

After parking your car and gathering up certain belongings, you take a deep breath and head inside. 

“Excuse me,” you say to the clerk at the desk. “I’m looking for a guy about this tall.” You raise your hand up to Jay’s approximant height. “Brown hair, brown eyes, kind of naïve looking, probably carrying around a camera.”

The clerk, in a very annoyed and curt tone, tells you Jay’s room number and then goes back to reading his book. 

You roll your eyes and proceed up the flight of stairs to the correct floor. This is it. You are finally going to confront Jay. He is going to open up that door and get a face full of your fist. Yeah. Sounds great.

Your anger only grows more and more as you make your way down the hall. You reach his hotel room and forcefully knock on the door, planting your feet on the ground, and getting ready to attack at full speed.

The door slowly opens as you raise your fist. However, upon finally seeing Jay, you freeze up. 

He looks sickly pale and the bags under his eyes are an obvious sign that he hasn’t slept properly for the last few days. And something tells you that from the way he’s barely opening the door, he’s scared of something coming to get him. Your heart literally breaks at the sight of him so frightened and paranoid. 

“[Name]…What are you doing here? How did you find me?” he asks in pure shock. It’s not the welcoming your expecting, but you’ll take what you can get.

Your anger momentarily dissolves and you forget why you are even there in the first place. Oh right. Right. You quickly remember and push your way into the small room. 

The bed looks hardly used and the curtains are pulled shut to block out the sun. On the desk is an array of old and slightly damaged cassette tapes as well as the camera Jay so often uses. That feeling to punch Jay is rushing back.

“How did you-”

“Do you know how long it took me to find you!? Do you know worried I was!?” You cut him off, your anger snapping back into place. 

“But how did you mange to find me?” he repeats. 

You groan, “For god’s sake, I took a few screen caps from the “entries” you posted on YouTube and asked around on forms, and a dozen other websites. I figured since millions of people watch your videos, so someone must have recognized the town. I also called and asked your cell phone provider to turn on your phone’s tracking chip.”

“…You’ve seen the entries?” He’s so quiet. 

“Of course I have. I’m not as computer illiterate as you like to think. I’m just here to figure out why you disappeared so suddenly. Because one day, you’re there; and the next, you’re not.”

He refuses to say anything and you try so hard to not start yelling at him. To calm yourself down, you take a deep breath and run your hands through your hair. After traveling for so long, your patience is running very thin.

“Jay, please, you’re my friend. I haven’t seen you for months and I’ve already seen all the videos you put up. I won’t get mad, I promise. Just tell me why you left.” 

Jay refuses to make eye contact, but does say, “It’s…safer for everyone if I stay as far away as I can, at least until I figure out what’s going on.”

“What is going on!?”

“I don’t know,” he snaps. “There’s something dangerous…something I don’t understand is following me. And all I know is that is has to do with Alex. So I’m trying to find him.”

“Alex? Alex Kralie? The scrawny kid I use to take lunch money from in high school? That Alex?” You practically laugh at Jay’s statement. But from the look on his face, he’s not too happy with you for doing that. “Sorry. Sorry. Please, continue.”

“The tapes, the ones I put on YouTube, the ones you’ve seen, originally belong to Alex. He was the first one to record that…thing. And I know that Alex is somehow connected to that thing. I just have to find him.”

You don’t really know to say after that. Alex, the tapes, that thing in the videos, it all just gives you the creeps and a really bad headache. Just watching Jay’s uploads gave you nightmares for a week or so. You can’t imagine what Jay is going through, actually having to deal with that thing.

“You need to leave.” Jay grabs your arm and starts to drag you to the door. 

You dig your heels into the ground and prevent him from kicking you out so fast. “Wait, what? I just found you.” You quickly yank your arm out of his grasp. “There’s no way I’m leaving so soon. Nice try.”

“[Name],” he angrily sighs. “No one saw you come here, right? You should hurry and leave…before something bad happens to you. I don’t want that thing to start following you, too.”

“Nothing bad is going to happen to me. You know very well that I’ll fuck up anyone who messes with me.”

Jay grabs your shoulders and rapidly shakes you back and forth. The phrase ‘trying to shake some sense into you’ would describe his actions perfectly. “You aren’t listening to me…this isn’t something you can…I just…you…just leave!” 

Your friend gives up and takes a seat on the edge of the bed. He’s drained of all energy and needs rest.

“Jay, how long have you been awake?” You sit down next to him on the uncomfortable hotel bed. “You look so god damn tired.”

“Probably about a day, maybe two. I don’t remember anymore.”

“Dear god, Jay, what am I going to do with you? Get some sleep.”

He doesn’t want to fight anymore; he’s too tired to. Jay leans overs and rests his head on your shoulder. “I just want to go home. I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m so tired.”

“Then let’s go home, together. Just forget about find Alex, just come home with me.” You bring your hand up and place it on Jay’s forehead. He’s burning up. How long has he been sick like this? “Get some sleep, please, Jay. I’ll keep watch, if it makes you feel better.”

Jay doesn’t respond, so you look down and see him fast asleep. So carefully, you lay him down on the bed and cover him with the blankets. 

The camera on the desk once again catches your eye, so you proceed to turn it on and go through the newest recordings. That thing is on the newest tape. However, the camera always distorts when it’s nearby, so you can’t get a good look at it, not like you want to look at it directly.

Your head starts to violently ache, so you set the camera down. Why does it feel like you’re getting sick? God, you just want to get Jay and go back home. Everything will be better once he forgets about Alex and that thing.


	2. Before it's too late [Tim]

“Tim!” 

You scream for Tim as you race to find Benedict Hall. The few students that are out and about look at you like you’ve gone crazy, like you deserve to be locked up in a mental institution. And at this point in your life with The Operator and Alex chasing after you, the reoccurring blackouts, and the memory loss, you can almost agree with that statement.

“Tim!”

And then you find it, the abandoned Benedict Hall. You bolt up the steps and all but attempt to rip off the door handles. However, the damn thing is locked up tight. You uselessly try and try to pry open the door. With each pull, you stupidly hope that the door will magically unlock for you. A door can’t be the thing that keeps you from getting to Tim. Something bad could be happening to him. Alex could be killing him right now. 

“God dammit!! You. Stupid. Fucking. Door.” You kick the door several times in rage and manage to land a hard kick to the glass, heavily cracking it. And so you kick again, and again, and again, until all it needs is one last kick to shatter it.

And then you hear gun shots come from within the building. Anyone else would have been worried that a nearby bystander heard the shots and called the police, but not you. Those shots could’ve been hit Tim. Tim could be shot, bleeding to death in some corner without you to help him.

Please not Tim. Alex has taken away so many of your friends; he can’t take away Tim. You won’t let him! You kick the door’s glass once more and it falls apart. With a small cheer of success, you carefully reach through and unlock the door.

“Tim!” you cry out. “Please, answer me! Please!”

You run down every hallway you can, you check room after room for any sign of Tim, or even Alex. There is nothing but dusty, cluttered hallways, and filthy, crumbling classrooms, until you reach the second floor. 

There’s a body lying on the ground, and for a second, your heart stops. However, when you get closer, it’s actually just Alex in a puddle of his own blood. And even though it’s horrible to say, you sigh in relief, glad that it was he and not Tim. But up ahead, right by the stairs, there is another body. 

This time it is Tim, and pure fear starts to run through your veins. You skid to a stop and kneel down besides him, then gently turn him over onto the back. He’s out cold and his hands are covered in blood; he is obviously the one who killed Alex. 

“Tim? Tim, can you hear me? Wake up. Tim!”

He groans and slowly opens his eyes, to which the fear that presses down on your heart quickly vanishes. 

“Are you okay? I heard gunshots. Did you get shot?”

Tim violently coughs and, with your help, sits up. He looks tired, beaten and a bit bruised, but he’s not bleeding or dying. So thank god for that.

“No, I’m fine,” he coughs.

“Good. Because I wanted to do this.” You smack the back of his head and then continue on. “I was so god damn worried about you. Why did you leave without me? You could’ve gotten yourself killed. I thought we were suppose to confront Alex together?”

Tim suddenly grabs you and shuts you up with a quick kiss. It’s mainly to stop your rant but also to comfort you. “I couldn’t let that bastard Alex hurt you. He’s taken away everything from me, but I wasn’t going to let him take you away.”

“So…is this over? Is all of this finally over?”

“I don’t know. But, at least for now, it is.” Tim slowly gets to his feet. He’s able to stand, but must lean on you for a bit of support. “We should leave before the police get here. No doubt, someone heard what happened and called the cops.”

You nod in agreement. And you as you help Tim down the stairs; you can’t help but look back at Alex’s lifeless body. Hopefully now everything will go back to normal. 

That’s all you’ve wanted since the beginning of this.


	3. Once this is over [Tim]

Waiting for Alex to show up is a lot harder than you thought it would be.

It’s only been about a day or so since you and Tim have returned to his house. But it’s also been about a day since Jay was killed. And while Tim seems to have easily gotten over his friends sudden death, you are still reeling in sadness and anger. Jay was just with you, telling you that everything will be okay once you find Alex, promising to keep you safe…and now he’s…gone.

But while Tim sits by the window and watches day and night for Alex’s arrival, you quietly sit on the couch, staring off into space and thinking about everything that has happened to you. You’ve also started asking yourself questions as well. 

What is life going to be like after all this is over? What’s going to happen to your relationship with Tim?

It’s dusk now. The sun is about to set and the house is getting darker with each passing minute, and Alex still hasn’t appeared. The dark isn’t as comforting as it once was; you use to love the night. Now you hate it.

“Tim,” you finally say. You’ve wanted to talk to him for hours, but he hasn’t been all that responsive for the last few days. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“I know this probably isn’t the best time to ask, I mean with Jay’s death, Alex trying to kill us, and that thing stalking us, but…. What do you think is going to happen to us once this is all over?”

“I don’t really know,” he sighs. “I don’t even know if I’m going to survive facing Alex.”

That statement makes you feel even worse for asking. However, another thought comes across your mind, one that makes you nervous to even just ask. Tim has been so distant lately. Of course, with everything he’s dealing with right now, a stable relationship is probably the last thing on his mind. 

“Do you still love me?” The words spill out of your mouth before you can stop them and you instantly regret it. 

For the first time that night, Tim looks away from the window and gives you his complete attention. He looks hurt and upset. You’re only adding to his saddened mood. 

“Why would you ask that?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Tim gets up from his seat by the window and comes over to stand in front of you with a very stern look on his face.

“Is that what you think? That I don’t love you anymore?” Surprisingly, he doesn’t sound angry. 

“I don’t know what I think anymore, to be honest. But before all this, our relationship was just beginning to get serious, now…not so much. I know that right now isn’t exactly the best time to talk about this. But…”

Tim kneels down and takes your hands into his. “I love you and that will never change.”

“You’ve been so distant, though. Of course, I know that a big part of it is because you’re not a big fan of public displays of affection. And when Jay was always around, that made it even harder. But even now, now that it’s just us, there’s nothing. You don’t kiss me. You don’t touch me anymore.” It’s hard to admit, but it’s the truth.

“You’re babbling. It’s always cute when you babble.”

You chuckle, “Shut up, I’m trying to be serious.”

He smiles and your heart skips a beat. Tim hasn’t smiled in so long, you’d almost forgotten what his smile looks like. The man you love looks so tired and fed up with everything. Exhaustion and sadness is etched into the lines on his face.

You reach out and gently trace down his jawline while your thumb caress his cheek. “I miss seeing you smile. I fell in love with that smile.” 

Tim leans up and captures your lips with his. They’re a bit chapped and you can faintly taste the cigarette he had not long ago. Tim’s tongue flickers against your bottom lip and you happily give in, allowing him to explore your mouth. You scoot further onto the couch and Tim follows, crawling on top of you as drape your arms around his neck. 

He breaks away for breath before saying, “I’m sorry. I’ve been neglecting you; I see that now.”

“I don’t need to be smothered in affection, just a kiss here and there, a hug once in while. Perhaps a ‘I love you’ before bed.”

“I can do that. But I also think I know what we’re going to do once this is all over,” he says in a firm voice.

“What?”

“It’s kind of cheesy, but we’ll move far away, forget all about this, forget about Alex and this thing. We’ll get jobs and buy a house. Get married. Be normal.”

“Married? Really? Maybe you really are going crazy.” Even though getting married sounds a bit crazy, your heart doesn’t refrain from skipping a beat. 

“I’m serious. We’ll get married and have a family. Before all this, I actually have thought about what was going to become of you and me.”

You smile. “How sweet.”

“Just promise me that, when I confront Alex, you find somewhere safe to hide.”

“Tim-”

“No arguing against it. Alex will do everything he can to kill the one thing I have left. I can’t let that happen. I won’t let you get hurt.”

He’s right, though. What he just said was incredibly cheesy, but very sweet at the same time. Let’s just everything goes the way you want it to. And on that note, you decide to end the conversation on that topic. The mood needs to be lightened up bit.

“Tim?”

“Hmm?”

“Is the camera still recording?” you ask. You probably already know the answer, but you might as well ask.

“Of course it is. Why?”

With a short laugh, you say, “We just recorded that entire sappy scene. You better not upload it in the next entry. I don't think over a hundred thousand people want to see such a domestic situation.”

“I don’t think they care. And I can’t promise you anything for the next entry.” Tim kisses you once more and then slowly gets up. 

Nighttime has fallen and the room is in darkness. But you don’t mind it. With Tim nearby, you don’t feel scared or paranoid that something is going to come and get you. You would’ve suggested that he and you head to bed for the night, but you already know Tim’s answer.

“I love you,” he says quietly.

“I love you, too.”


	4. See you in Hell [Alex]

Run. 

Run until you can't move anymore, until your legs quit working, and your body gives up.

“[Name]!” His voice is faint, which means that you’ve managed to create some kind of distance between the two of you, but that doesn’t mean you can rest.

You stumble over, trip on, and run into all sorts of trees and plants as you run with all of your might. Your legs feel like gelatin; they are weak, flimsy, and ready to give out at any second. And on top of that, your lungs ache and burn in pain; it feels like they are on fire and you desperately want to stop. But if you do, you die. 

How long have you been running through Rosswood Park? How long has Alex been chasing you? The answer truly doesn't matter right now. You're too busy running for your life from a madman. 

In a horrible turn of events, you trip on an overly large root and violently smack your head into the trunk of a tree. And to add a very cruel insult to injury, your ankle is now twisted up. Man, you feel just like the dumb character in a horror movie that dies within the first ten minutes of the film. Okay…maybe that isn’t the best metaphor to use in your situation. 

“[Name], just give up! It will make everything easier!” Alex shouts. Oh god. He’s getting closer.

Unfortunately, you’re in far too much pain to even think properly. Your head is furiously pounding and everything is slightly fuzzy. You attempt to stand but only fall back onto your ass, dizzy from your newest injury. 

“Get up. Get up,” you tell yourself. If you don’t get back up and start running, Alex is going catch you. 

"[Name]!" He's even closer now. 

You don't fully understand how Alex can chase after you so easily. It's almost as if he can smell your fear and agony. Or maybe it's because he has better knowledge of Rosswood Park than you. But again, you can't be bothered with trying to find the answers to the mystery. 

You need help. And that's when you remember the cell phone in your pocket. But before you reach into your pant's pocket, you scan the area for any signs of Alex. Thankfully, there is none. You pull out your phone and quickly enter in one of the two numbers you are all too familiar with. Hopefully the call with goes through, you barely have one bar of service thanks to the dense forest.

Luck is on your side for the first time that day as the line rings three times before Tim answers.

"[Name]?" 

"Tim! I need help!" you say in a panicked whisper. 

"What's wrong? Where are you?" he asks, concern and worry instantly filling his voice. You can even hear Jay in the background asking about what's going on. 

"I'm in Rosswood Park and Alex is chasing after me. He's trying to kill me. Please, I need help."

"What? How did he find you? How did you end up there?"

"I really don't know." Your throat feels tight as you try so hard not to start cry. "That thing showed up when I left the hotel and I blacked out. Alex was already here when I woke up in the middle of the park. He pulled a gun out and tried to shoot me. I got away, but he's close to finding me.”

You hear shuffling, muffled chatter, and several doors opening and closing on the other end of the line. Obvious your friends have bolted from the hotel room and entered Tim's car, no doubt speeding as fast as they can to come to your rescue. 

"We're coming, just hold on. Find somewhere to hide until we can get there. Stay on the line, okay." Tim is trying his hardest to keep you calm, but it's hardly working. "[Name], I'm driving, so I'm going to hand the phone over to Jay, okay? I promise we'll find you. I won't let Alex hurt you."

"Okay," you sniff. The tears are threatening to spill over. It’s stupid to start crying, but it’s hard not to. Your life is on the line right now. One wrong move and it’s all over.

"[Name], can you hear me?" Jay says.

"I'm scared, Jay. I'm so scared." 

"I know. I know. But we're on our way; just hang in tight. Have you found a good place to hide?" he asks. 

"No, I’m having trouble getting up. I tripped and twisted my ankle, and bashed my head against something really hard. I can't walk. I-I can't even think straight." 

Jay's voice is no longer comforting as more panic sets in. "Damn. Okay. Just stay quiet. We will get to you before he does."

Suddenly you hear twigs snapping and grassing shuffling behind you. And then you see the one person you really don't want to: Alex Kralie. It feels as if your heart has literally dropped into your stomach at this point in time.

"I found you." Alex states, venom and hate dripping off of every syllable.

Your voice is gone. You can't talk, beg, or scream at the sight of Alex; you're petrified at the thought of what he’s going to do to you. You're going to die at the hands of the person you once considered a friend.

"[Name]?! [Name]!? Are you still there!? Can you hear me!?" Jay's shouting from the phone manages to snap you out of your fear induced freeze up.

"Alex," you whisper to no one in particular. 

Jay's voice quickly erupts from the phones speaker. "Run! Forget about your twisted ankle and just run!" 

And that's what you do. You don't even fully get onto your feet before you starting running as fast as you can through the confusing forest. And once again, you are stumbling and tripping through the woods, trying so hard to get away. But because of your injured ankle and aching head, you're slower than you were before, making it easier for Alex to trail after you. 

"Just give up, [Name]," Alex shouts. "This is the only way to stop it from spreading.”

You make the mistake of looking back behind you to see just how close Alex is and go tumbling down a small hill. Your back collides with a small tree right as you reach the end of the hill. 

Your phone lays several feet away from your bruised and damaged form, but you can faintly here Jay calling out your name. “[Name]!? What happened? Are you okay? Please, answer me!” 

You groan some incoherent sentence out and struggle to your feet. Your back hurts and tears are now starting to fall. So much pain and fear, more than you’ve ever felt in your life before. But somehow, you push it aside and continue on running, of course grabbing your phone before going down another path.

“[Name]!” Alex is still chasing after you.

The path ends in front of a tunnel, a tunnel you’ve seen quite a few times in the tapes Jay has, a tunnel you’ve been in two or three times before. You’ve seen some pretty terrible things happen within the tunnel. But with no other options, you’re forced to enter. 

You take a few steps into the slightly darkened path before bringing the phone back up to your ear. “Jay, I’ve ended up at that tunnel-”

Suddenly, a loud bang goes off and a new pain erupts from your knee. You collapse onto the cold and partly damp ground with a scream and look down to see your knee bleeding profusely. Alex just shot you in the knee and it’s horrifyingly painful.

“[Name], what happened? We’re almost there. You’re going to be just fine.” 

Alex is quick to stomp on your phone, breaking it, before pointing the gun at you once again. 

“I hate you so much, Alex.” You roll onto your back and glare up at him, although you aren’t very menacing. “You were my friend, Alex. Why are you doing this? I don’t understand.”

“You will never fully understand what is happening. But you should at least know before you die that this is Tim’s fault.”

“Tim’s?” Alex aims the gun at your head. “You just had to get involved. You would’ve lived longer if you hadn’t interacted with Tim. I have to stop this from spreading to other people.”

“Alex, please don’t!” Your heart is beating so fast that it feels as if it will burst out of your chest. “I don’t want to die.”

He’s doesn’t say anything and you start to cry. It’s pretty obvious that you are going to die. Jay and Tim are too late to help you. Oh god. You’re going to die before figuring out why all this is happening. Dammit. The fear is gone and anger has taken its place.

You look up at him and say; “I’ll see you in hell, Alex.”

“Don’t worry, Tim, Jay, and Brian will be there soon to keep you company.”

Bang

-

“[Name]! Can you here me!” Tim shouts. 

“[Name]!”

He and Jay run all over trying to find you. They scream and shout your name in hopes that you’ll reply. 

“Over here, Tim, there are tracks.” Jay sprints down the path and Tim is quick to follow. “[Name] said that they ended up at the tunnel.”

Tim now takes the lead and carefully skids down a small hill; the hill you had taken a tumble down. “That’s just right over here. [Name], are you here! Please, say something.”

But when the two men reach the tunnel, they receive a grim surprise. Jay collapses to his knees and is desperately trying not to cry. But Tim only grows angry and angry with every second. Alex is a dead man.


	5. The puppets and puppet master [surprise]

You calmly descend down the stairs of the abandoned Benedict Hall to the lower level of the school. It’s almost eerie how calm and collected you are with the situation at hand as there is absolutely no hesitation or rush in your steps. And without a second thought, you pass by several empty rooms, walk around fallen debris, and step over large piles of rubble as you look for your so-called “friend”. You’ve explored this place only once or twice before, but the layout is very simple.

But it’s pretty obvious that Jay is still around here somewhere, either dead or currently dying. You saw Alex leave the building not even ten minutes ago, and now, assuming he accomplished his goal, it’s time for you to finish up this one loose end. But first, you need to find him. However, you aren't running every which way in hopes of spotting him. You aren't racing up and down hallways and into random room, desperately trying to find the boy before he dies. No. It's more like you’re trying to find your dog that ran off down the street.

“Jay,” you softly call out. “Jay, can you hear me?” 

Your voice may come out as caring and worried, but you can't care less about the boy. It’s a skill you acquired a long time ago and use quite often. And aside from your gentle appearance and innocent smile, your "soft" voice just makes tricking people into trusting you so much easier. It worked wonders on Tim and Jay.

Once more, you call out for the boy. “Jay, where are you?”

“[Name]?” 

His voice is faint and several coughs follows right after he speaks, but it does help lead you into a nearby room that he is in. 

Upon entering the room, you see Jay lying against a wall, bleeding profusely from his abdomen. He’s trying to stop the bleeding by pressing his hands against the wound, but it’s not working; he is going to die. But based on how he’s looking up at you, he believes you’re here to help him. He’s probably thinking that you’ll get him out of here and that everything will be okay. He looks at you like you’re his saving angel. 

The poor boy couldn’t have been more wrong. So naïve. 

“[Name], help me, please,” he coughs out.

You bend down next to him and ask, “Jay, do you have your camera? Where is it?” 

He looks down to his right and you follow his gaze, see the recording device lying on the ground next to him. You pick it up and stop the recording, taking the tape out and stuffing it into one of your pockets. 

“Thank you, Jay.” You turn to walk out of the room, but Jay’s weak voice stops you.

“[Name]…w-what are y-you…doing? Help…me.” He violently coughs and blood comes sputtering out from his mouth. 

“I’m not going to help you. I just came for the tape before anyone else. I know where the others are, but I just needed this one.”

“W-what? [Name], why-”

Your head starts to violently aches and you feel sick, that thing his here and now it is time for you to leave before you start to seize and pass out, just like all the other times. 

“Goodbye, Jay,” you coldly say before fleeing from the room.

You hear Jay calling and pleading for you to come back as you quickly make your way to the stairs; he’s coughing, begging, and screaming for you to come back. But as your foot hit the first step, he goes quiet. He has either finally died of blood lose due to the hole in his gut…or that thing got him. 

But it doesn’t really matter, you’re not going back to look. You still have a few more people to take out and a few more tape to collect. And so, you head upstairs to your hiding place until the other players arrive.

However, you don’t have to wait long. From the window in the classroom, you watch one by one enter the building; the hooded figure is first to show up, followed by Alex a few minutes later, and then lastly Tim. 

But it doesn’t even take five minutes for Alex and Tim to find each other. You hear constant yelling from both men, loud gunshots, and a very violent struggle take place. A part of you wonders if the two will somehow make their way up and stumble upon your hiding place. 

You quietly laugh, “I don’t think that will happen. They’re too stupid.”

The fighting continues on for much longer than you want it to; it should have been over several minutes ago. So now, it’s time for you to make your appearance. And as quickly and quietly as you can, you make your way down to a lower floor and find the two struggling to kill the other one.

You grab Alex by the back of the shirt and yank him away from Tim, throwing him down harshly onto the ground. And then, without any hesitation, pull a switchblade from your back pocket and proceed to ruthlessly stab Alex in the neck several times. His warm blood sprays numerous lines of red on your clothes and saturates your hands, painting them a vibrant color. But it doesn’t affect you in any way, though. You just close the blade and tuck it back into your pocket.

“[Name]!” Tim coughs out. “What are you…how did you…” His back hits the wall and he drops to his knees, violently coughing and struggling to regain some kind of normal breathing pattern. “Jay…he’s…”

“I already know,” you coldly state as you kick Alex to the side and pick up his gun, flipping out the chamber to check how many bullets are left. 

“Thank you, [Name]. I would’ve probably died without your help.” 

You bend down in front of him and unbuckle the camera from his chest. “Don’t thank me, Tim. The game is almost over for you.” 

“What? G…game?”

Using Alex’s gun, you shoot Tim in the leg so he’ll have no possible way to stop you from finish this entire thing. He screams in pain and grips his newly injured appendage. 

With a small sigh, you stand back up and say, “Yes, Tim, this has all just been a very easy to play game. I didn’t mind playing…at first. But then this little game of tag between you, Jay, Alex, and that thing got dangerous. And while you and Jay were off trying to be detectives, I was coming up with a plan to live.”

“Why!” He shouts, pain radiating throughout his body. “But…you’re my friend! You were Jay’s friend!”

“I was your friend! But when I almost died twice, I stopped caring about you two and started to focus on my safety. I mean I did try to ensure your safety too. But when you started to make more and more stupid moves, I gave up. Things did get a lot easier and the threats to my life happened a lot less when I began planting evidence all over the place.”

Tim looks far beyond hurt at the truth. “You planted evidence?”

“Are we really going to do this? This whole villain tells the dying hero their dastardly plans and the hero cries about being betrayed.” 

Tim just glares at you, his answer pretty obvious. 

“Fine,” you huff. “For the most part, I was the one leaving tapes, files, and pictures everywhere. You and Jay went wherever I wanted you to go. Sure, sometimes Brian would beat me to it; but for the most part, it was me.”

“Brian! You knew about Brian!” 

“Of course I did. I could’ve helped him, could’ve told you about him. Brian was my friend once too. But with him around, things were a lot easier for me.”

“God dammit! We trusted you!”

You shrug your shoulders. “In hindsight, that was a really bad decision.”

“What about Jessica!? Do you know where she is!? Do you know what happened to her!?”

You bring a finger up to your lips. “That’s a secret. It’s for me to know and for you to never find out.”

Tim utters several more swears and you raise the gun, aiming it at his head. The clicking of the firearm pulls Tim’s attention back to you. He doesn’t beg or plead for you to spare him, but the anger and hurt in his eyes says it all. 

“Thank you for taking care of Brian for me. That’s one less thing I have to worry about now.”

Bang!

Tim slumps over and blood trickles down from the hole in his head. 

Now let’s see: Jay and Tim’s camera. A bag of all the tapes, found files, and pictures. Alex’s weapon. Yep. You do believe that’s everything important you need. Well, there is just one more thing left to do. 

Oh wait, Brian’s camera! You need to retrieve his camera before you leave. 

And that is exactly what you do. It doesn’t even bother you to see an old friend dead at your feet as you retrieve the camera. He was just a part of the game, after all.

\----

Once you leave Benedict hall, it takes you about a day to reach your final destination. And with the cameras, files, photos, and taps burned away, you can go back to a normal life. You’ll forget all about the people you once considered friends and start over. It was their fault for pulling you into such situation. The strongest will out live the weak, and you were by far much stronger than them. It’s only natural.

“Are you ready to go?” you ask as you put your phone to sleep. The recent news article about four dead boys found in an abandoned college building can be finished later. 

“Yeah, my bags are in the trunk and I returned to motel key to the front desk,” Jessica answers, running her fingers through her dark hair. 

“Alright, let’s get going.”

You turn for the car, but Jessica grabs your hand and stops you. “Can I ask what happened? What happened to Jay, Alex, Tim, and Amy?”

Gently, you take both of her hands into yours and rub your thumbs in a slow soothing motion on his soft skin. “They’re just fine. But after everything that has happened, we thought it would be best to go our separate ways. I promise, they are fine. Alex is with Amy. Tim has been reunited with Brian. And Jay is well…Jay.” You smile at her. “Now c’mon, we should get going.”

“Okay.”

“Jessica, I promise. Everything is fine.”


End file.
